MY CHRISTMAS CARD CLUB CHALLENGE

Back again!!!. It was my turn this fortnight to choose the challenge for the Christmas Card Club and I decided to go with something very different. It was to make anything but "A" card. You can make cards as in a pack or box but not "A" card. I also wanted to see different creations like gift tags/bags/boxes, a scrapbook page, Christmas decoration, absolutely anything as long as it is Christmas themed. I decided to make a decoration.

 THE DECORATION HAS THE SAME IMAGE ON EITHER SIDE

I was quite pleased with how it turned out and was so easy to make. Certainly need lots of foam pads for layering!!!. I used a Woodware punch for the snowflake and the little leaf's and I think the stamp is by Little Claire which I got from Ally Pally. Lots of Kaisercraft bling and the ribbon & eyelet was from my stash. Oh and Spellbinder's circles & scallop circles. 

If you would like to join our little Christmas Club just message me or any of the girls on my sidebar. We have a challenge once a fortnight and just play for fun and friendship. Hopefully have a few Christmas cards before December too!!!. Go check out the other girls lovely blogs and their creations for my challenge.

Thanks for stopping by and thank you so much for your lovely comments.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

IM BACK!!!

So sorry that I have not been around for a while, you probably thought I had not come back from Ally Pally!!!. I had a wonderful time although I do not think Saturday is a good day to go for me as it was so so busy and having difficulties getting around it was a real struggle. Luckily most of the crafting community are lovely but then you get what I call the "Next" sale category, the one's who are so selfish and knock you off your feet to get to everything, barge, push, don't apologise.........you get the picture. 

Anyway I managed to meet up with two gorgeous friends Sylvie (Gibmiss) & Sue (Scoopystuff), made friends with a few other's and a lovely lady called Nicki on the coach. Managed to buy lots of yummies, lots of stamps, card, embellishments, chipboard bits, lace, ribbon.......on and on. 

Since Ally Pally I have had one of my worst flare up's of my Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to spend a few days in bed last week. Today I had an appointment at the hospital and they have given me a steroid injection which will hopefully calm it down a bit. I must admit though I do feel heaps better than last week and can get around heaps better. Oh meant to say, the new drug I am on for the RA, Simponi, is doing good. No nasty side effects like I was getting with the other's and do not seem to be having as many flare up's. I have had 2 treatments now so so far so good. Will keep you posted.

Now that I am starting to feel better I have a lot of catching up to do so will come visit all of my friends as soon as I can. Must say I absolutely hate the new look Blogger. Why did they have to change it???. I have changed it back to the old style. Don't know how long it will stay as it does say it will eventually all go to the new version. I think it looks so boring and bland and find it hard to find everything. What does everyone else think?? maybe I'm just being grumpy and stoopid!!!.

Do hope that all of my friends are well and keeping warm from this horrible weather. Must admit that when I got home from the hospital I got into my PJ bottoms as I was so cold!!!.

Will be back in a bit with my Christmas Card Club creation.

Love and hugs Clare xxx

MARGARET'S BLACK & WHITE CHRISTMAS CARD CHALLENGE

At last I am finally getting around to blogging my Christmas card which was due for the Christmas Card Club on Sunday. It was the lovely MARGARET'S turn and she chose the theme of black & white for the challenge, a firm favourite of mine!!!. 

INGREDIENTS

WHITE & BLACK BAZZILL CARD

BLACK TARTAN CARD FROM HANDY HIPPO

RED GINGHAM DESIGNS CHRISTMAS HOUSE STAMP

RIBBON & SENTIMENT PEEL OFF FROM STASH

DIAMOND STICKLES

Really love this stamp and is the first time I have used it after bagging it from EBAY. 

If any of you are interested in joining our group of 20 Christmas Card Club member's just leave me or any of the girls on my sidebar a message. We are a totally chilled group of girls who make a Christmas card once a fortnight to a challenge set by one of us just to get ahead with our cards before December. 

I would also like to enter my card into CRAFTY HAZELNUTS CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE which theme this week is "White Christmas".

I am certainly feeling more relaxed this week and have had my lovely Niece Rebecca staying for the past couple of days so we have been in the craft room creating. I'm starting to feel better and although I am still snotty (sorry!) I am not feeling so fluey. 

Ok I want to know if many of my lovely friends are going to Ally Pally at the weekend???. I am going on the Saturday. I am so excited. I know three of my lovely friends are going and will be meeting up with them. If you are let me know ok and will arrange to get together.

Will be back again soon my lovelies!!!.

Big hugs Clare xxx

AN UPDATE ON MY MAD WEEK!!!

BEWARE THIS IS A VERY LONG POST SO MAY WANT TO GET A CUPPA!!!!!!!

Hello my lovelies. So sorry I did not post earlier this week but ive not been good having a stinking cold and bad throat. I'm still full of cold and have even had to put off my treatment which was due Thursday. Anyway enough of my woe's!!!.

I know you are all dying to know about the squirrels and I have at last got the video to show you which I did earlier in the week. 

Aren't they cute!!!!! love it when Sid started scratching at the camera lol. Thought it would be nice to see a video than picture's this week so a little treat for you all. 

Well yesterday the time came for Monica to take them to her place as she has the hard job of weaning them off the milk. She will also have to start handling them less and she has a massive cage for them to go into at her home. 

The past week has been quite tough, not feeling very well didn't help but the squirrels are getting really strong now and have found them a lot more harder to handle (my gammy hands don't help lol!). Monica was on holiday so knew I needed to tackle it head on. As I was still feeding them 3 times a day I had to put them in the carrier in between filling up their syringes as they would be clambering up my arms, flying off the table going mad for more milk!!!. They are so fast now and have found it hard to be quick enough to keep hold of them. This though is a big sign of their independence and that they are nearing being ready for release. Bless them they have even started burying their food. They have a selection of food in their cage and Sid was scrambling around at the bottom of the cage hiding food which is what squirrels do in the wild and go back for later.

So my darlin's the next time we will see Sid, Alice and Sindy should be in about 3 weeks (providing they are ready) as Monica and I will be taking them to the centre to the large outdoor avery to get them used to the outdoor's, the smells, the noises etc before they go out there in the big wide world. Don't worry as I will be equipt with camera and will be doing a special post about them.

So I have been looking after Monica's guinea piggies as well this week so thought some pic's were in order for Blossom, Petal, Piggy and Sassy;

 PIGGY

 SASSY THE BEAUTIFUL ALBINO PIGGY WITH PINK EYES

 THIS IS BLOSSOM WHO I RECKON MY SIMONE WOULD BE IF SHE WAS A GUINEA PIG WITH THE SAME CALICO COLOURS!!!

PETAL

My Bert absolutely loved the piggies and when they had gone yesterday afternoon he was walking around the conservatory like a lost soul!! he could not make out where they had all gone bless him. I'm sure I will be looking after them again the next time Monica is on holiday!!!.

I have made two rescues this week, the first one was on Friday when a pigeon fell down my chimney. Me and Martin had to remove a cover which blocks the fire place off. There are little holes in the cover and we could see the poor little soul through them with a torch. Luckily we managed to get him out quickly and I wrapped him up in a towel and checked him out and thankfully he was not injured, just in shock. We released him on to the lawn and he went rushing over to the water bowl I have on lawn and gulped loads down. I put food down for him and after a while he went flying off.

The second rescue was yesterday morning. I went into the shed to collect the food bowls from my semi-feral cat visitor and I always check the wooden kennel I have for him in there to see if all is well. When I peered in I saw the rear end of a hedgehog!!! he was tucked up in the blankets but I was alarmed to see a lot of ticks on his rump. I pulled the blanket out trying not to disturb the sleeping hoggie and the poor little mites face was absolutely smothered in ticks as well. I bundled him up in blanket and brought him in and popped him in a carrier with a heat pad. Thankfully it was before Monica came to pick up the squirrels and piggies so she rushed him off to the rescue centre once she left mine. Monica contacted me last night and they successfully removed 40 ticks!!! that is shocking as even 5 can be dangerous to a hedgehog. Last night he was tucked up and nice and warm in his temporary bed at the centre where he will stay for a little while to recover and receive antibiotics and come back to me when he is well enough. 

So the rescue season is definitely upon us and I feel so blessed to be a part of it. I think it will be a busy one and am all ready for it. 

I must admit that today has been so nice being able to relax and had my first lay in in ages!!!. I have soooooo missed creating in my craft room so with all of my housework done today I am going to be all set this week for some cardmaking. It will be good to get back to blogging too and visiting all of my beautiful and loyal friends. 

I really hope that you have enjoyed this post and is not too long!!! especially hope you like the video.

Will be back very soon with a card to show you all.

Big hugs from me, Bert & Simone xxx

GUEST DESIGN CARD FOR BUNNY ZOE APRIL CHALLENGE!!!

I am totally chuffed to have been selected as a guest designer for the very awesome BUNNY ZOE CRAFTS. It is for their next challenge which is to use ribbon or twine on your project that was selected by DORCAS which starts today 9th April. I also selected a gorgeous House Mouse stamp set from the BUNNY ZOE'S CRAFT SHOP kindly given by the lovely NIKKI to use on my project. Here is my card;

INGREDIENTS

CRAFTWORK CARDS WHITE CARD BLANK

WHITE & PINK BAZZILL CARD

HOUSE MOUSE STAMP SET FROM BUNNY ZOE CRAFTS
DOILY FROM THE DOILY DEALER (EBAY)

PINK BUTTONS, TWINE, PINK POLKA DOT CARD & PAPER PIECED COLOURED PAPERS FROM STASH


Hope everyone had an awesome Easter and managed to bag loads of chocolate. Shame about the weather but guess we can't have everything!.


I will be back soon with an update on the squirrels and what's been going on in life!!!.


Big hugs Clare xxx

MORE SQUIRREL PICS!!!

Hello my lovelies!! I promised to post some more pictures of the babies. I have even managed to do a little video of them but am having problems uploading it so please do bear with me and I will make sure it is up there soon for you to see, it is sooooo cute!!!.

Aren't they growing!!!. We reckon they are now about 8 weeks old and usually by around 14 weeks they are ready to go out and face that big wide world. We have to make sure that they are ready though and will not release them until that time. So we have them for atleast another 6 weeks so lots more photo ops!!!.

They are now down to 3 big feeds a day and I am trying to get them to eat solid foods. As you can see their cage has now been turned upside down so that they have plenty of climbing space. They are still pretty sleepy babies and still have plenty of growing to do.

Hope you enjoy the pics and I promise as soon as I can sort out the video I will get it posted.

I have been doing a little crafting, not a lot, but I cannot show the cards yet as one is for a guest DT spot and a couple of cards for a couple of friends who are likely to see my blog!. 

Hope all of my lovely friends are well. I will be back again real soon.

Lots of love xxxxxxxxx